The Daily Dozen: 12 things to know about Czechia today

Pizza index| Just in time for World Pizza Day on Feb. 9, Eurostat has announced that pizza prices are significantly on the rise around the bloc. Data for December 2022 shows that the price of store-bought pizza (and quiche) in the EU was, on average, 16 percent higher than in December 2021. Read more in our article.

Turkey earthquake|Czechia has been stepping up to help the victims of the earthquake in Turkey. A Czech urban search and rescue squad made up of firefighters left for Turkey to assist with the recovery efforts just hours after the Feb. 6 earthquake occurred. The Czech Red Cross and People in Need (Člověk v tísni) are raising funds to help survivors. Read more in our story.

Malá Strana tram line repairs|The main transport company of Prague (DPP) announced that it can shorten by three days the first stage of the repair of the tram lines in Malá Strana. This will enable DPP to start construction work on the second stage, which will move to Karmelitská street, from Monday, Feb. 13, 2023. The deadline for the repairs, which rerouted several trams, remains March 31.

Czech residency|Holders of so-called EU Blue Cards – a work and residence permit for third-country nationals in an EU country – that wish to reside in Czechia have some good news. Interior Minister Vít Rakušan said Wednesday that an amendment to Czechia’s asylum law, which was approved yesterday, aims provide easier conditions for EU Blue Card holders to stay in the country and find work. Read more in our story.

Foreign tourists in Czechia|The number of tourists coming to Czechia increased in 2022, but was still a little below pre-pandemic levels. In 2022, hotels and other accommodation establishments across Czechia saw an increase in both the number of arrivals and overnight stays in almost all regions. Read more in our story.

Daytrips from Prague|The season of swimming and hiking may still be far from sight but that doesn’t mean that you have to stay inside. We've picked some beautiful hikes and ski resorts for those happy to brave the elements for a dose of exceptionally fresh air and sunshine, as well as cozy castles, museums, and places to explore inside. Read more in our story.

Hockey legends|Distinguished hockey players from Czechia and Slovakia will face off next Friday at Prague's O2 arena in an exhibition match coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the Czech victory at the Olympic Games in Nagano, ČTK reports. The Czech team will include Jaromír Jágr, Robert Reichel, Milan Hejduk, David Moravec, Libor Procházka and Roman Čechmánek, who were part of the gold-winning team in 1998.

Czechoslovak movies|Starting next week, Prague’s Kino Lucerna is reacquainting audiences with classics of Czechoslovak film, which will screen in its small hall twice a month with English subtitles. The first two offerings are “Ucho” (The Ear) from director Karel Kachyňa, on Feb. 16, and internationally acclaimed director Miloš Forman’s first film, “Černý Petr” (Black Peter) on Feb. 28. Read more in our story.